Flirt with Disaster
by Romantique
Summary: Things are going to be different now. They already are – Luke and Lorelai finally connect in Raincoats and Recipes...what happens afterwards?
1. Let the Games Begin

"Flirt with Disaster" by Romantique

_Disclaimer: The characters, quoted dialogue, locations, etc. are the creation/property of Amy Sherman-Palladino et al, as well as the property of the WB...the following work is my humble homage._

_Author's note/acknowledgements: For now, this story will be a four-parter...it was originally planned to have ten or more chapters, but I actually over-multitasked myself and am currently working on four different fics (yes, including the sequel to my first fic, "Rules of Engagement"), so maybe if the other ones get done sooner rather than later, there may be more chapters after all. Thanks to my betas who have seen me through various drafts: **Carrielynn**, **Chiaroscuro** and **Kristi** – your comments and catches have really inspired me to continue this story that I nearly gave up writing. Special thanks to **truthseeker**, who inspired me to write this in the first place and whose ideas inform some later plot points._

Chapter One – Let the Games Begin

Luke thought about driving to the Dragonfly Inn's test run, but decided that it would actually be a nice chance to take a walk and calm down his nerves. He opened up his duffle bag enough to hold the bouquet of flowers as he walked. The ducks swam by and made a lot of noise as he walked across the footbridge.

The last time Luke had taken a weekend off was when he had taken the cruise with Nicole the past summer. He looked at the flowers in his bag again and sighed...Taylor had asked him what kind of flowers he wanted to buy, and he had no idea what to pick, figuring roses would be safe. But then when Taylor went into the discussion about the symbolism of rose colors and what certain types of flowers communicated, Luke ended up asking for whatever kind of bouquet that wouldn't be offensive to a woman. He didn't think that buying flowers would be so time-consuming or difficult. _Wait, didn't she say she liked daisies? What am I doing?_

"_You're making a gesture of affection, a gift demonstrating your feelings for her_..." said the audio book voice in his head.

As he approached the Dragonfly, Luke forgot all about flowers and audio books, as it sunk in how much of a change had come over this place. It was no longer the ramshackle old inn in the photographs Rachel took four years ago; now it was Lorelai's materialized dream come true. _She's completely transformed that ruin_, thought Luke as he turned around to look at the landscaping. He couldn't feel prouder of her than he did at that moment, knowing how much of herself she had put into this place to make it to this test run.

_Lorelai's transformed me into this flower-buying guy too. Not that I was a ruin myself. _He cheered up a little more about bringing the flowers, and laughed at himself.

As he crossed the driveway, Emily and Richard Gilmore suddenly appeared in the doorway, following a large cart of luggage that was being carried down the front steps. They looked less than thrilled to be there, and Luke wondered what their problem was. _Aren't they proud of what their kid's done? Are they leaving already?_

"Excuse me...oh, hello Luke." Emily noticed the bouquet of flowers in his hand and raised a brow.

"Hi, Mrs. Gilmore. Mr. Gilmore."

"No need to be so formal. Richard, you remember Luke, don't you?"

"Ah yes. How do you do?" Luke saw that Richard looked even more distracted and uncomfortable close up, as if he would rather be anywhere else. "If you'll excuse us, we were on our way to our room."

"Your room?" Luke was puzzled. "So why is the luggage going in the wrong direction?"

"Apparently, we got a special room with a separate entrance," replied Emily in a hurried tone. "Well, we should get settled, shouldn't we, Richard? I expect we'll see you at dinner, Luke." She gave him a forced smile and Richard nodded, as they continued to follow their luggage away from the main entrance.

Luke considered it a miracle that he wasn't forced to make small talk with Lorelai's parents. He felt the tension in the air between them, and did not want to be caught in their crossfire. As he walked through the front door, he was impressed with how different the Inn looked since his last visit – shinier, brighter, finished. After he examined the doorframe, admiring its craftsmanship, Lorelai greeted him in front of the staircase.

"Hey, hi, you came!" Lorelai smiled at him.

"Sure. I RSVP'ed."

"Oh..."

Luke handed the bouquet of flowers to Lorelai. "Here, these are for you, a little congratulations." He smiled as he saw her face light up. _Maybe this was a good idea after all._

"Oh my god, they're beautiful, thank you." Lorelai's eyes darted nervously between the bouquet and Luke. "I was...um, well, okay we should get you all, uh, checked in. And...that'sss....over there."

_Wow...she's nervous. _Luke laughed in disbelief. He had been waiting to hear her deliver one of her usual snappy one-liners. "You okay?" He couldn't remember ever hearing her stutter like this before.

"Oh god yeah. Me? I'm totally fine...Oh!" A door suddenly appeared in front of Lorelai and she smacked right into it.

"Lorelai!" Luke held out his arm to hold her and to make sure she wouldn't fall backwards.

"Oh god..." Lorelai laughed as she looked over at Luke in obvious pain. Luke was stunned – he was torn between concern and full-blown laughter, but managed to control himself. _She can't be losing it now...not when everything's finally falling in place._

Rory handed Luke his key, as Lorelai tried to explain away the accident."So...you got your key and, uh, b-b-bye."

Luke smiled as he walked up the stairs following his room door. _Say nothing...don't blow it..._

As he walked past other rooms, he heard Miss Patty. "Are you sure that door's not going to fall in on me when I open it? Would you be a dear and check the hinges down there again for me?" Luke rolled his eyes as he saw her admiring the worker's posterior.

Luke arrived at his room, which faced the front driveway. While his door was being installed, Luke went to the window and sat in the armchair next to it, admiring the view. He saw a crowd of people near the barn, admiring the horses, while a few people walked around the grounds, taking in the scenery.

He turned to look around the room, and he couldn't help but notice the appearance of dragonflies in the wallpaper design.

"Luke! Good! You came." Kirk walked right in past the workman making some last adjustments on Luke's door and immediately started looking around the room, assessing the wall, listening and knocking at different places.

"I told you I was coming," said Luke. "Hey stop that, will you?"

Kirk stopped checking the wall. "Now, you remember what I told you. Any–"

"You already told me, Kirk. You don't need to tell me again. Really. Once was more than enough. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to change."

"Oh yeah. So do I. For dinner. So you're not wearing that?"

"Goodbye, Kirk."

"I'll see you later, okay?"

Luke nodded as he shut the newly fastened door. He looked at the clothes he brought, and wondered if he should iron the pants. He figured it wouldn't hurt to look sharper than usual, even if she was going to be too busy to notice. He started to unpack his clothes from his duffle bag.

Luke looked at himself in the mirror as he took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. He smiled and shook his head as he thought of the last time he saw Lorelai. She had almost knocked the entire table down, and had done a good job of knocking its contents to the floor. But then he thought about the dance and after the dance...she had looked at him differently than she had looked at him before. It was strange, new...and he couldn't help but be captivated by her blue eyes as they waltzed. But then she kept looking away from him...what did that mean? Did it mean anything?

_"Remember, the brain will always try to trump the heart. Don't second guess, listen to what your heart tells you..."_

_Yeah, but what if all you can hear is this damn audio book? _Luke wondered if he would ever be able to turn off that annoyingly chipper voice in his brain and felt like banging his head against the wall.

After he changed into a sweater and slacks, he went to comb his hair in front of the mirror above the dresser. There, he found a big basket of fruit and a note that had an illustration of the inn with "Compliments of the Dragonfly Inn" in dark green ink.

* * *

Dear Luke, 

Thanks for helping make this dream possible. You rock!

(As in both the verb and noun. In good ways.)

Lorelai

* * *

_Did she just call me a rock?_ Luke smiled at the note, and tucked it away in his bag.

He wondered why it took him so long to acknowledge what had been there all along beneath all the wisecracking and the bluster. Why he had never said anything, why she hadn't. Why it took a book to point out the obvious to him. _Things are going to be different now. They already are – _

There was a knock at the door as he finished changing. "Luke?" It was Patty's voice.

Luke answered the door. "Patty, hi."

"My, don't you look nice." Patty smiled at him, checking him out from top to bottom.

Luke saw that she was dressed in a yellow bathrobe. "And you're wearing a..."

"I know! This robe is amazing..." She twirled around. "I don't want to wear anything else!"

Luke didn't know how to respond to this, so Patty broke the silent pause. "So what are you waiting for? Aren't you coming to dinner?"

"Yeah." _A bathrobe to dinner? You have got to be joking._

"Sit with me and Babette. Lord knows we could use an infusion of testosterone if you know what I mean. Good food with good company, right?"

While Luke didn't want to encourage this line of thinking, he couldn't think of any reason to say no. "Uh, okay. As long as I don't have to sit with Kirk."

"Why?"

Luke gave her a look that said, "Do I need a reason?"

The dining room was empty as Luke, Patty and Babette were the first to arrive. They were seated near the center of the dining room. Babette also decided to wear her bathrobe to dinner, and as she chatted to Patty about their coordinating outfits, Luke wondered if it would be rude at that point to try and sit at another table.

"So, Luke, TJ and Liz had a lovely wedding, didn't they? I don't know what I would've done if Lorelai hadn't come to help with the dress," said Patty as she winked at him. "Good thing she came with you."

_So, here it starts. _Luke was about to reply when Babette stood up to flag down one of the waiters. "Excuse me, can I have some more water please!" As she did this, her robe fell open. It turned out, to her brief embarrassment, that the hem of her robe had been caught under Luke's chair leg. "Oops!"

"Hey, watch it!" Luke immediately turned away, covering his eyes. Since there wasn't anybody else in the room, Babette was more amused at Luke's reaction than embarrassed, and she laughed.

Patty joined her. "What's wrong, Luke? Is she too much woman for you to handle?" Patty could barely speak.

"Sorry, sugar!" said Babette, as she adjusted her robe and retied her belt. "Didn't mean to turn this into a peep show!"

Luke's eyes were still covered, just in case Patty felt inspired to join Babette in a moment of robe solidarity.

"Luke, it's okay to open your eyes again," said Patty, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Her girls are back in place now." They both started to laugh even more hysterically as Luke kept his eyes firmly shut.

When Luke finally uncovered his eyes, all he could think about was sneaking back to his room, but then the other guests started arriving.

Luke spotted Rory and called out to her. He was grateful for a distraction from his table companions.

"Luke, hi! Hi, Miss Patty, Babette!" Rory smiled at them all, as they waved back at her, still in fits of laughter. She then looked back at Luke. "Hey, where's yours?"

"My what?"

"Your robe. You look a little out of place at this table." Rory laughed.

"Actually, that was the look I was going for."

"What's wrong?" Rory couldn't help but notice that Luke's eyes were glued to his table setting.

"Uh, you don't want to know." Luke lifted his head quickly to make eye contact with her. "Trust me."

"Oookay." Rory looked at him curiously, then smiled. "Oh, don't worry. I think I understand. Are they already hassling you about--"

"Rory!" interrupted Patty with a mischievous grin. "I want to hear all about the Yale men you've been toying with all year."

Luke couldn't help but smile, now that Patty's attention was directed away from him.

Rory saw this, and gave him a look that said, "Hey, not funny!" She turned to Patty. "Uh, maybe some other time. I have to go and help out with -- with something. See you later!"

"Luke, do you know what's going on with Rory's love life?" asked Patty.

"Why are you asking me?" His eyes focused on the salad fork.

"Well...Lane works at the diner and maybe you've overheard something, and I don't know, maybe Rory's _mother's _mentioned –"

"Well, I have no clue. But it's her business, anyway, right?" He looked up at her briefly before he took a swig of his ice water, and for once that evening, Patty had nothing to say in return.

The dining room filled up quickly, and then the wait staff passed out the salad and rolls for the first course. Luke was grateful for any distraction, as Patty and Babette were beginning a detailed conversation about Kirk and Lulu of which he wanted no part.

"Honestly, Babette, did you think they would have lasted this long? Kirk has a good heart and everything, but he's a little...you know, _loco._"

_You have no idea._ Luke started to eat the salad, as he tried to look around at the surrounding tables to see if Lorelai had come into the dining area.

"Oh, Patty, I think they're so sweet together. I've never seen Kirk like this before."

"Yes, you're right. Ah, young love, "said Patty wistfully. "Remember how glorious and overwhelming that was? When your heart's pitter-pattering and you can't think straight, and you almost don't recognize yourself in the mirror."

Babette sighed. "Yeah...and you get so flustered you can barely string two words together, much less keep your balance. I could tell you some stories about Morey's cuts and bruises..."

"Oh yes. I remember my first dance with my first husband. Even though I was quite an accomplished dancer already, I kept stepping on his toes."

"How about you, Luke?" asked Babette. "Did you ever fall over yourself for a girl?"

"Good salad, huh?" was Luke's response.

He was so focused on eating his salad that he almost didn't notice Lorelai when she entered the dining room. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her greet Tom, who was almost unrecognizable in a suit and without his tool belt.

"Hi, how is everything this evening?" Lorelai approached their table and Luke continued to stare at his salad.

"Oh my God, these _robes_." Babette began to gush about Luke's least favorite subject of the moment, and sure enough Patty chimed in.

Lorelai stepped closer to Luke. "How are you doing?"

"I'm just staring at my plate." Luke wouldn't put it past Babette to try something in Lorelai's presence. He was completely outnumbered...or was he? He snuck a peek at Lorelai from the corner of his eye and caught her smiling at him...but he immediately looked back to his salad.

"He's shy. My bathrobe slipped earlier, and his poor heart couldn't take it."

"I like salad." Luke looked up at Lorelai again. This time, he didn't look away and smiled right back at her. _She really is the most beautiful woman in the room...hell, the entire town...the entire county...and she's smiling at me. But how do I tell her this without having her laugh in my face? _He then realized that he didn't need to say a single word, as she smiled coyly back at him.

At that moment, it seemed like the volume of noise in the room was turned down. Luke could hear Babette and Patty talking to each other, but had no idea what they were saying. _Lorelai, save me, won't you?_ His eyes remained fixed on hers.

"Okay, well, you two go easy on him, now."_ Lorelai, no, don't leave..._

Lorelai didn't look like she wanted to leave just yet as she gazed at Luke, but nonetheless she backed away from the table. Unfortunately, she didn't see one of the waiters and she crashed into him, apologizing as she excused herself in embarrassment. Luke turned back to his salad to wonder why she was acting so klutzy lately when Kirk bent down to whisper to his ear: "We're all set up."

"Stop whispering in my ear, Kirk." _So _not _the person I want to have whispering in my ear._

"I'm just saying..."

"You're still doing it, Kirk." But Kirk couldn't dampen Luke's surprisingly good mood. Luke couldn't help but smile as he finished his salad.

"What's so funny, Luke? Did Kirk tell you a joke or...something intimate?" Patty looked at Luke curiously, as it was rare for her to see him smiling like this.

_If you only knew, Patty. If you only knew..._


	2. Double Blind

"Flirt with Disaster" by Romantique

Chapter Two – Double Blind 

"Would you just stand still?" Lorelai found Luke stepping toward her, closer, closer...and she shut her eyes as his lips met hers.

Wow. This was _Luke_. And he was kissing _her_. And it didn't feel weird or wrong. Far from it. It felt different and exciting and absolutely perfect all at once. _Wait...this is Luke...Luke who makes my coffee and food...and I'm kissing him, and the universe as I know it is not unraveling...this is...wait..._

Lorelai pulled away to look at Luke. He was silent as he looked at her as if he was expecting her to say something, but she had no words. All she could think to do was kiss him again...

As she leaned in toward him, Luke stepped back in surprise. "What are you doing?"

Lorelai smiled. "Would you just stand still?"_ If you're going to take my line, I'll take yours..._Lorelai took Luke's face in her hands and they kissed again. _Oh my God, there it is...this is real..._ Lorelai couldn't believe what was happening and how she was feeling...the second kiss was even better than the first.

_Whoa, hold on a second..._Lorelai pulled back slightly as she cursed herself silently for feeling so shy and awkward, unable to meet his gaze or just plain say anything. _This is Luke...what is my problem? _She slowly raised her eyes to meet his, and saw that they were filled with so much longing and desire. _Okay, I don't have a problem with this... _As they leaned in to kiss again, she stared at his lips. She hadn't ever really looked at them in this way before. They were so soft and full and...

"Aaaaaaaahhhhhh! Aaaaaahhhh!"

All of a sudden, Kirk in his birthday suit with a pillow thankfully covering his nether regions scampered down the stairs. Lorelai staggered back toward the doorframe, and was surprised to see that Luke didn't look quite as astonished as she felt. _The hell?_

"I'll be right back. I'll explain later..."

Lorelai clutched the doorframe, as she realized that her legs could barely keep her upright. She opened her mouth to say something, but had no words, and it was too late anyway. She watched Luke run after Kirk past the barn toward the duck pond and laughed.

_Hmm, should I be insulted that at the sight of naked Kirk, Luke drops me and runs after him? Or did I imagine a naked Kirk, and Luke was actually just running scared from me? Should I be concerned? Well, he did say he'd explain later...that's a good sign._ Lorelai wished there was someone there she could share her thoughts with, but at the same time, she was glad to be alone for once. All day long she had been surrounded by employees and guests.

Lorelai felt her cheeks and they were still flushed. She buried her face in her hands, shaking her head in disbelief as she replayed the kisses in her head again and again and...

"Lorelai?" Michel almost collided into her on the porch. "Where is the first aid kit? I am injured!"

"Michel? What is it?" Lorelai was shaken from her reverie as she turned around.

"I have a cut on my hand," said Michel as he held up said hand and pouted not unlike a two-year-old.

Lorelai tried not to roll her eyes as she took the hand and examined it. "What happened?"

"I found a broken wine bottle on the floor, and as I tried to pick up all the pieces, this idiot came up behind me. He scared me and I cut my hand."

"Lorelai, I'm sorry, it's my fault. But I didn't mean to scare him," said Jason, as he came up behind Michel.

Lorelai was less than thrilled to see him still at the Dragonfly. _What, my evil death stare didn't scare him away? I must be losing my touch._

"I also shouldn't have left that wine bottle there," he added.

_Nah. He's just a jackass. _Lorelai walked past him without a word, as she dragged Michel to the kitchen. "I think there's a first aid kit somewhere here."

Jason followed them into the kitchen. "Can I help?"

"No," said Lorelai and Michel together. They looked at each other and smiled.

Lorelai opened a drawer. "Here it is." She opened the plastic box. "Oh no, it's out of band-aids. But wait, there's one antiseptic wipe left. Sookie must have used up the whole kit already."

"What am I going to do? Do you think I will need stitches?" Michel was beginning to sound hysterical.

"Simmer down, Michel," said Lorelai, as she took a closer look at his wound. "I think you'll live, but let me grab some band-aids at home. But wait, have you seen Rory?"

"No." He sounded a little resentful at the subject being changed from him to Rory.

"Hmm, maybe she's still at the house getting CDs...but no, that was ages ago. Anyway, I need to find my camera...can't believe I forgot that."

"Why do you need a camera? Are you going to take a picture of my wound?"

Lorelai laughed. "Uh, no, Michel. I don't think workers' comp is going to be necessary. Let's just say there've been some Kodak moments that I wish I could've captured. Who knows what else will happen tonight? Just sit tight, okay, and I'll be right back. Clean that up and I'll get you all bandaged up when I get back." She handed him the wipe.

Jason cleared his throat. "Lorelai, I can go to the drugstore and –"

"No, Jason," interrupted Lorelai. "The best thing you can do right now is leave. Haven't you caused enough drama tonight?"

"All I want is a chance to talk to you." Jason took her hand, but Lorelai snatched it right out.

Lorelai rolled her eyes and exhaled in disgust. "Have you not heard what I've been telling you? What do I have to do to make you understand? There is no 'cooling off period.'" Lorelai used very aggressive air quotes. "It's over between us. Finished. What more is there to say?"

"I happen to have a lot to say. I've been thinking..."

"No, no, no. That was a rhetorical question, and not only do I have no time to chat right now, I have no desire to do so right now. Go home, Jason, please." Lorelai turned around to leave, and to her relief, it didn't look like Jason was following her.

After she grabbed her purse and keys from the office, she walked out the front entrance and found Jason there.

"Un-fucking-believable."

"Lorelai, let me come with you and we can talk on the way to your house."

Lorelai threw her purse down on the ground in anger. "That's it. I've tried to be nice and civil to you, Jason, and yet, you are still acting like a complete asshole."

"Lorelai..."

She glared at him, her hands in fists. "Did you really think you could just come here and pretend that nothing's changed between us, that we could just pick up where we left off? That's not the way this works. We broke up, okay? This is over – God, how many times do I have to say that to you? If you can't accept that, that's _your_ problem."

"_My_ problem? I am here because I cannot believe that you leaving me in that coffee shop was the way you wanted to end our relationship."

"Oh, I see...you didn't _approve _of the venue I chose," replied Lorelai, crossing her arms. "Would you have preferred a candlelit dinner or maybe at the top of a Ferris wheel? Oh wait, what about the zoo? In front of the monkey house? Oh, yes, _that _would have been much more appropriate."

Jason shook his head. "You're missing my point."

"You had one?"

"Well, if you'd let me speak – Lorelai, just tell me one thing, okay? Did you break up with me because you think I broke up your parents?"

"Oh, you wish it could have been that simple–"

"I know it wasn't that simple. That's why I'm here. Tell me what is really going on here," said Jason.

Lorelai stared at him. _Something specific was obviously on his mind._ "What are you trying to say, Jason?"

"You know who I'm talking about."

"Who?"

"I'm not blind...I saw the way you were looking at him."

"What are you talking about?"

"The diner guy. Luke."

"Luke?!" Lorelai didn't see this coming at all. _Oh God...was he watching us earlier?_

"A-ha! I knew there was someone else."

"What?" Lorelai hated herself for blushing at the thought of Luke and Jason talking and she remembered Luke had mentioned this as well. _My ears should have been burning...what the hell did they talk about?_

"I'm surprised he didn't challenge me to a duel or something."

"What did you say to him?"

"I told him we were still dating."

"So you lied."

"I just wanted to see his reaction, and let me tell you, he almost convinced me that he didn't care about us dating. But when he stopped making eye contact with me, I knew."

"Knew what?"

"I knew you had got under his skin, just like you got under mine." Jason drew closer to Lorelai. "So, how long have you been cheating on me?"

Lorelai looked at him, disgusted. "I never cheated on you."

"Don't lie to me. It's obvious that you've been carrying on with him for some time."

Lorelai hardly knew what to say as she felt the anger reddening her cheeks. "This is unbelievable. Luke and I have been friends for a long time..."

"_Friends_, huh? Friends with benefits?"

Lorelai slapped him hard. "Fuck you, Jason. You know nothing about Luke, and you obviously know nothing about me."

Jason looked at her in shock, rubbing his cheek. "That hurt!"

"Good." Lorelai picked up her purse. "You know what? I honestly don't care what you think. What did you want to hear, that Luke and I have been sleeping together for months behind your back?! Is that going to make you feel better, knowing that it's my fault that we broke up? That it's not because you are a complete and utter moron? Believe what you want, Jason. Goodbye."

"Lorelai..."

Lorelai strode past him and ran to her Jeep. As she drove off, she bit her lip and despite refusing to cry over Jason, she wiped a few stray tears from her cheek. _God, I hate this._

Lorelai couldn't believe that Jason would bring Luke into all this. Luke had nothing to do with their breakup. Everything else in her life seemed to be spinning out of control except for him.

_I wish I could have seen this coming...why didn't I?_ Lorelai couldn't help but smile a little at the thought of slapping Jason. It felt good, and after all, he had provoked her.

As Lorelai approached the town square, she saw Luke still chasing after Kirk, who had apparently abandoned his pillow. She averted her eyes at the sight.

"Hey, Luke!" Lorelai slowed down and honked her horn.

"Aww...why'd you do that? I think....he's running...even faster now." Luke stopped, hands on hips, to catch his breath.

"Okay, you have to explain now what is going on with Kirk," said Lorelai as she, along with Luke, stared into the distance where they saw Kirk run into Miss Patty's studio. "Why are you chasing him all around town? Wait a second...am I getting punk'd? Where are the cameras?"

"Why...would you...get punk'd? You're not...a celebrity."

Lorelai stared at him in amazement, totally expecting him not to get what she was talking about. "Luke, you watch MTV?"

"No," replied Luke. "But Lane does, and she talks about it sometimes."

"Okay. If I'm not getting punk'd, maybe it's _you_."

"I'm not a celebrity either."

"Oh yeah." Lorelai grinned. "Okay, I'm sorry...what were we talking about? Oh, yeah. Naked Kirk?"

"He has these, uh, night terrors. He asked me to make sure he didn't hurt Lulu – or I guess anyone else for that matter."

"'Night terrors'? Is it like sleepwalking?"

"I don't know. I guess it's similar, but with a whole lot more panic and paranoia." Luke sighed and looked over at Miss Patty's. He then looked back at Lorelai in her Jeep, and for a moment their gazes connected.

Lorelai saw him smile slightly and she knew exactly what he was thinking of, because she was thinking of the same thing. _Less than an hour ago, we – Lorelai Gilmore and Luke Danes – were sucking face in front of the Dragonfly..._ She smiled back at him.

Luke broke the silence by clearing his throat. "Hey, you headed home?"

"Oh, yeah. I needed to get some band-aids...and a camera of course. No one is ever going to believe our stories of tonight if we don't have any proof."

"Band-aids? Did someone get hurt?"

"Michel. But no worries, he just got a cut. Our first aid kit was just completely out of supplies, and I happen to have plenty of band-aids at home. Hey, do you need some help with Kirk?"

Suddenly, they heard a scream and a crash come from the dance studio.

"Oh, shit. No, you go ahead and get those band-aids. I'd better get Kirk out of there before he destroys any other property. Who knows, he might need some of those band-aids later."

"You're lucky he didn't wander into your diner."

"He's lucky I keep it locked." Luke gave her an exasperated smile that was even more endearing than the slight smile from moments ago, and Lorelai could feel butterflies in her stomach. _Hmm...that's different. _"I'll see you later."

"Yeah, see you later, Luke. Call me if you need help – " Lorelai watched him run over to the dance studio before she drove away to her house.

As she pulled into the driveway, Lorelai saw that the light in Rory's window was on. Her heart was now light as all thoughts of that last encounter with Jason were replaced with memories of kissing Luke. She couldn't wait to tell about everything that was going on. She couldn't believe she was missing out on all the drama. Surely she couldn't have been at the house all this time?

Lorelai thought of just going to Rory's room to fill her in on the news, but didn't want to forget the items she was bringing back to the Dragonfly. "Rory! Oh my God, you're missing everything." She ran up the stairs, still continuing to speak in a loud and giddy way. "Oh, things are happening...big things, wow things. I have so much to tell you." As she grabbed a box of band-aids, she was a little puzzled that Rory hadn't said a word in response yet. She went downstairs.

_Maybe I'm just talking to myself and she left the light in her room on. _"Let me just open with this little tidbit: Kirk running naked through the square. Of course, with all my careful planning and preparation, I forgot to bring band-aids and a camera. I have got to learn that always without fail, Kirk equals camera." _Okay, is Rory even here? _Lorelai then looked toward the kitchen and saw Rory standing there, looking stunned.

"Hey what's going on?" asked Lorelai with a smile. Was she ignoring me? What...

When Lorelai saw Dean walk into the kitchen behind Rory, it seemed like all the blood in her body rushed into her head, making her momentarily slightly deaf, as if she were submerged into a tank of water. Her smile quickly faded. _It looks like you have something to tell me too..._

As she looked at Rory, Lorelai knew immediately just what had happened. She tried to take a deep breath and found she had trouble breathing properly. She put down the band-aids and camera, and barely heard Dean take his leave as he dashed out of the kitchen. Rory spoke about Dean coming over to borrow something. _You cannot seriously believe that I'm buying this._

Lorelai walked into the kitchen and glanced at the state of her room, noticing the unkempt bed. _Did they not even try to make the bed? I guess I should be thankful I went upstairs first. They must have appreciated my loud entrance..._

Lorelai inhaled deeply and sighed, determined not to lose her temper, and looked straight into Rory's eyes. "So...what'd he borrow?"


	3. Ring Around the Rory

_This update was a long time coming...over a year, actually! But I had finished this story and figured that maybe some readers out there might want to see the end - this is of course, still post-_R&R _and has nothing to do with Season 5 of GG. Thanks to everyone who have commented over the past year!_

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"Flirt with Disaster" by Romantique

_The characters, quoted dialogue, locations, etc. are the creation/property of Amy Sherman-Palladino et al, as well as the property of the WB...the following work is my homage to the brilliance of the former and the faith of the latter in the former. _

Chapter Three – Ring Around the Rory

Luke couldn't sleep. He wondered if it was because the bed seemed too soft or was just unfamiliar. In any case, he often fell asleep on his sofa anyway. He got up, pulled on a pair of jeans and walked out of his room. He paused at Kirk and Lulu's door, and heard nothing. _Good and quiet. I hope it stays that way._

He decided to go get some fresh air and take a walk. As he walked downstairs toward the entrance, he heard someone crying out on the porch. When he got to the foot of the stairs, the entrance door opened and Lorelai walked in, her face streaked with tears.

"Lorelai, what is it?"

Lorelai looked up, surprised to see Luke. "Luke? What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep. Hey, come on and sit down." They sat down on a nearby sofa in the lobby.

_Wait, she probably needs a tissue or something._ Luke got up, and Lorelai said, "Wait, don't go."

"It's okay, I'll be right back. I was just going to grab you some tissues." He took a box of tissues from the reception desk and brought it over to Lorelai.

"Thank you." Lorelai took the box and smiled at him gratefully as she took a tissue and dabbed at her eyes.

"Having a rough night?"

"You could say that again." Lorelai stared at the carpet for a few seconds before she continued. "It's been a rough few months actually." She sighed deeply.

"You're being way too hard on yourself. The place looks great, the food's great – everything's coming together--"

"Thank you. I-I can't believe the Dragonfly's finally done, you know? But that's the thing…I've been so caught up with getting this place running that--" Lorelai sniffled into a tissue. "I mean, I've just been trying so hard not to mess anything up, that I haven't been able to see what's been in front of me all along. And now nothing's ever going to be the same between us. I honestly don't know what I'm going to do." She blew her nose into the tissue as she leaned her head on Luke's shoulder. Instinctively, Luke put his arm around her but wondered at her words.

_What was she talking about…she couldn't be talking about…_Luke cleared his throat. "Lorelai, you don't…I mean, I –"

Before Luke could say anything, he was interrupted.

"Lonely…I'm Mr. Lonely….I've got no-bodeeee…for my oh-ohhh-own…" Someone was singing Bobby Vinton with an obviously liquor-laced slur in another room.

Lorelai sprung up from her seat and looked at Luke in exasperation. "Oh no, it's Jason. I can't deal with him right now. Hurry, let's go upstairs before he sees me."

Luke followed her without a word, still thrown at what she had just said. "And now nothing's ever going to be the same between us." _Well, she's right…nothing _will _ever be the same between us. But that doesn't have to be a bad thing, Lorelai. But if you're not ready for this…_

Luke was determined not to let the subject slide because of Jason's interruption. After he followed Lorelai into one of the rooms and she shut the door closed, he cleared his throat. "Lorelai, nothing has to change between us – if you want to forget that kiss ever happened, I'll understand."

"What?" Lorelai turned to look at Luke in surprise as she turned on the light. "No, I wasn't talking about— are you kidding?" She stepped closer to him and took his hands, looking into his eyes. "That kiss is the only thing keeping me going right now. And there's no way I could ever forget that kiss, even if I wanted to."

"Wait – then what were you talking about before, about nothing ever being the same again between us?"

"Not 'me and you' _us,_ I was talking about me and Rory, _that _'us.'"

"Oh."

"Oh," repeated Lorelai teasingly. "I can't believe you were so prepared to pretend that kiss never happened. So how do _you _feel about that kiss?" She walked closer to him, so close that he could see the remnants of tears in the corners of her eyes.

Without saying a word, Luke took her into his arms and kissed her, and somehow it was even more incredible than their first few kisses. She kissed him back as her arms wrapped around his neck pulling him closer.

As he felt her reach beneath his sweater, he knew that this was not the way he wanted their first time to happen…and he knew that if Lorelai was in her right mind, she would feel the same way. Reluctantly, he gently took her hand away from his chest and pulled it down. "Whoa, one step at a time, okay?"

"What's wrong?" Lorelai looked at him, bewildered. "Don't you want me?"

"God, yes. You don't know how much. But not like this. Not now." He looked into her eyes and she looked into his.

Lorelai sighed and sat down on the bed and Luke sat next to her. "Luke, I'm sorry – I guess I got a little carried away there."

"We both did…almost. So, what happened tonight with Rory? Why were you saying that nothing would ever be the same between you two? It sounds serious." He reached out for her hand and she opened it for him to grasp.

She looked at him momentarily and opened her mouth to speak, but then closed her mouth again.

"That bad, huh?"

Lorelai nodded. "I want to tell you, but…" She stood up. "Look, you have to promise me that you won't do anything, tell anyone about it."

"You know I won't."

"You swear?"

"I have to swear?" Luke saw the look of genuine concern on Lorelai's face and sighed. "Fine, I swear. I won't do anything or tell anyone. You have my word."

Lorelai continued to look at him warily for a few moments, then continued. "After you ran off after Kirk, I went home to get supplies…Taylor cut himself and insisted on bandages, and somehow I forgot to have some at the Inn! So I went home to get those, and a camera and well…I walked in on Rory…and Dean."

"You walked in on them…" Luke almost didn't want to know…he couldn't even finish the sentence. Looking at the expression in Lorelai's eyes, he understood.

"Uh, not exactly. They were coming out of her bedroom, and they didn't even do a good job of trying to cover up. Oh, God, I barely remember what I said to her…I just didn't expect…I don't know."

Luke got up and wrapped his arms around her. "Stop blaming yourself. It's not your fault. Just wait until I get my hands on that good-for-nothing son of a…"

"Luke, they were in this together." Lorelai made Luke look at her. "Hey, I know your intentions are honorable and everything, but you don't need to go and beat up Dean. That's not going to solve anything."

"But it would make me feel a hell of a lot better."

Lorelai nodded. "You and me both. But it would just make everything so much worse."

"So what are we going to do?" Luke blurted out this question, and immediately wanted to take it back. _Did I just say 'we'!_ "I mean, what happens now?"

"I don't know," said Lorelai. "That's what kills me. This is completely out of my hands."

"But she has to know she can't _be_ with him."

"She always knew that, Luke. And she went ahead and had sex with him anyway. There. I finally said it out loud." Lorelai sat down again on the bed.

Luke forgot all about his anger at Dean, looking at Lorelai's face. He sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned her head on his shoulder, tears streaming down her face. Neither of them spoke a word.

After a long silence, Luke, feeling the need to change the subject, decided to pick something relatively safe. "So…the Inn looks fantastic, Lorelai. It really does. It's going to do really well. I know it."

Lorelai laughed and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

Luke looked into her eyes and smiled. _You're welcome._ He was sure she understood.


	4. Hello Hell

_This chapter was originally the second one, and I almost completely deleted it because it seemed so completely out of sync with the rest of the story. But hey, it's supposed to be that way, and after several edits, it remains insane but I hope in a good way. I haven't had as much time as I had in the past to write more fic, but who knows...I may yet write a sequel to this series. Enjoy. (And remember, this was first written post-_R&R_ and before season five's premiere.)_

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_

"Flirt with Disaster" by Romantique

_The characters, quoted dialogue, locations, etc. are the creation/property of Amy Sherman-Palladino et al, as well as the property of the WB...the following work is my homage to the brilliance of the former and the faith of the latter in the former. _

_Chapter 4 – Hello Hell_

Lorelai opened her eyes and found herself sitting on a chair on the porch of the Dragonfly Inn.

She then saw Luke walking toward her. "Hello, sleepy eyes." He sat in a chair next to hers.

"Luke, how long have I been sleeping here?"

"Not long. I just figured you could use a break." Luke stood up and helped pull her to her feet. "Come on, you're probably just a little delirious from the heat and lack of sleep."

When Lorelai got up, Luke's arms immediately went around her waist. _I guess he's not wasting any time, huh?_ "Uh, Luke?"

"You do realize this is the first moment we've had alone together in a long time?" Luke's voice was a whisper. His face was close to hers.

"Look, I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to talk to you since…" said Lorelai, feeling very disoriented. "…I –" Lorelai was distracted by Luke leaning toward her, but before his lips touched hers, Lorelai pulled away.

"What's wrong? Is everything okay?" Luke's concerned eyes searched hers.

"Yeah, Mom, what is your problem? Kiss him again already!" A familiar voice sounded from the driveway.

"Rory?" Lorelai turned around to find Rory standing there, dressed in her old Chilton uniform. "What are you doing here dressed like that?"

"Did I miss anything?" Paris, also in a Chilton uniform, came up to Rory eating an ice cream cone, handing an extra one to Rory.

"No…they're just getting to the good part. Mmm, brownie batter flavor…thanks!" As Lorelai stared at Rory and Paris, they suddenly turned into Cletus and Desdemona, and they galloped away.

"Luke…d-did you see that?" Lorelai turned to Luke, who was still holding her close.

"Yeah, that was a nice one." She saw him looking upwards as a golden stream of fireworks lit up the sky. He looked down at her and smiled.

She realized that she had never stood this close to Luke before…at least, not like this. "You know, I never noticed before how long your eyelashes are." She smiled, as she reached up to stroke his stubbly chin. "I'm sorry it took me so long…"

"We've already been through this. Stop apologizing already." Luke bent down to kiss her again, and before she knew what was happening, she heard fireworks go off followed by a large roar of applause. Lorelai was thinking that this had to be the most explosive kiss she'd ever had. And suddenly, they were no longer in front of the Dragonfly, but in the town gazebo, surrounded by everyone in Stars Hollow.

"Uh, Luke, how did – what happened?" Lorelai looked around them, and the decorations on the street lamps told her it was the Fourth of July. Oh, so those were real fireworks…

But before Luke could answer, Babette came over and offered her congratulations. "Oh, I'm so happy for you two. I always knew it'd work out. Just look at ya! You're glowing!"

"Uh…" Before Lorelai could respond, Rory approached them with a baby on each arm. "Hey there," said Rory. "Hope you didn't forget all about these boys."

Lorelai's jaw dropped as she stared at Luke. Luke laughed at her, and took one of the babies and put him in Lorelai's arms. He then took the other baby. Lorelai stared at Luke making faces at the baby, making him giggle. _Huh? Who _are _you? You couldn't possibly be Luke Danes._

The baby in Lorelai's arms started to tug on her hair. "Well, hello," she said to the baby, whose blue eyes fascinated her. Suddenly, the baby gurgled happily at her. _What is going on?_ she wondered. _This baby…is it…_

Rory smiled at Lorelai, as she put her pinky finger in the baby's fist, and followed the baby's gaze over Lorelai's shoulder. "How cute, Mom! It looks like he recognizes Grandma now…"

"Grandma? Rory, what haven't you told me?" _Oh my God...Rory had twins? _

Rory looked at her like she was crazy, but in an affectionate way, like it was something not unexpected. "Mom, are you okay?"

"Ooh, Lorelai, let me hold him!" Lorelai turned around to see Emily Gilmore approaching with a huge smile, followed very closely by Richard, looking completely unlike himself with a goofy grin fixed on the babies. _I'm not sure if I should be more surprised by the fact that they're smiling, or that they're here, _together, _in Stars Hollow…_

Luke snuck up behind Lorelai and tickled her stomach, causing her to yelp. "Hey, watch it!" She turned around to see Luke still holding one of the babies.

"Okay, now you have to tell me what's wrong. Because something _is_ wrong."

"N-nothing's wrong, Luke! You just scared me, that's all!" Lorelai actually wanted to say, _Yeah, something is wrong with me. Why do I feel like a huge chunk of my memory is missing? Why don't I understand what's going on?_ But somehow, she didn't feel like spilling her guts and seeing Luke stare at her like she'd lost her mind. She looked at the baby in his arms, and back up at his face.

Luke pulled her closer, looking into her eyes. His expression said, "Come on, spit it out, Lorelai."

"It – it's just that…seeing my parents like this. Kind of weird, you know?" Lorelai didn't know what else to say and wondered if Luke would buy this excuse.

Luke's eyes crinkled up into a smile. "You're going to have to get used to it. I'm afraid our boys are going to be spoiled rotten." She watched as Luke handed the baby to an eager Richard.

_Our boys…oh boy…Lorelai Gilmore, you have officially lost your mind._ While Lorelai continued to try and wrap her head around the situation, Rory walked up to her. "Mom, could I talk to you alone for a sec? Sorry, Luke, this is girl talk."

"Enough said." Luke walked away to join the Gilmores and the twins.

"What is it, hon?" Lorelai and Rory sat on a nearby bench.

"Remember when I told you I had some big news?" Rory blushed, and Lorelai could detect some serious smirking going on beneath the strained composure she was trying to hold on to as she spoke.

"Uh, yeah, Rory, sure. Tell me what it is." _Damn, that was _so _unconvincing._

Rory looked at her skeptically. "What's wrong? Grandma and I agreed that you don't seem like yourself right now."

"Listen to what you just said right now…you and Grandma agreed. There's all sorts of wrong there."

Rory laughed. "Oh _that_. Mom, I thought you were so over the whole Me Against My Parents thing. Remember what you said? That you couldn't believe that everything in your life was finally falling into place?"

"Okay…" said Lorelai, hesitant.

"I'm getting married." Rory practically squealed. "As soon as Dean's divorce is finalized, we're going to start making plans."

_Dean!_ "Whoa, back up here a second…" Lorelai put her hand to her forehead. _Maybe I'm just delirious…do I have a fever?_

"Lorelai Victoria Gilmore, what is going on?" boomed Richard's voice.

"Dad, we're kind of in the middle of something…" Lorelai looked behind Richard and saw Max Medina holding one of the boys. "Max? What is he doing here?"

"That's exactly what I'd like to know. He's saying that you promised to give him one of your sons."

"Why so surprised, Lorelai?" asked Max. "Didn't you agree that the exchange would take place on July 4th?"

"Exchange!"

Luke walked over to Lorelai, looking angrier than she had ever seen him. "I…don't…believe this…I…"

"Luke, I don't know what's going on."

"Don't play dumb with us, Lorelai," said a familiar voice behind her.

"Jason?" Lorelai turned around to see Jason Stiles. _What is this, a convention of exes? _"Oh no, you're not here too. What are _you _doing here?"

"Again with the playing dumb. Not funny. I'm here for the same reason Max is here. To collect our pounds of flesh, if I might interject some Shakespeare to the occasion."

Babette, dressed in a yellow terry robe, appeared at Lorelai's side. "Sugar, didn't I tell you? You shouldn't have agreed to that deal."

"What deal? I don't remember this deal. In fact, I don't remember…"

"Hush, dear. Listen to me." Miss Patty appeared in a scarlet red terry robe, as she pushed Babette aside and whispered into Lorelai's ear. "Don't you see? Now you have what you've always wanted. True love."

Lorelai was startled. "What are you talking about?"

"You said that you would give anything to find true love. Did you really think you could have it all? The whole package? Without paying some price?"

At this, Emily began to laugh. Patty then joined her.

"Excuse me, but I don't think this is funny. Is this some sort of joke?" asked Lorelai.

Neither Patty nor Emily could speak, as they convulsed with laughter. Everyone started to gather behind them, looking at Lorelai expectantly.

"Hey, am I late?" Christopher walked up to the crowd with Sherry and their daughter Georgia, who could walk on her own. _Oh hell no…this has gone too far._

"No, Chris," replied Jason. "You're right on time. It's time for the Exchange."

_Exchange!_ She stared at Christopher and then at the babies, who were now in the arms of Max and Jason.

"This is insane…this is like…like Rumplestilskin! _Rumplestilskin!_ There, shouldn't that break the deal?"

"Very funny, Lorelai. But no, this is no fairy tale. You signed in blood…" Christopher handed Lorelai a parchment scroll written in Latin. But she found her signature there, in dark red, on the bottom of the page. "I only hope he's worth it…"

"Who? Please explain what this is all about, I beg you."

Christopher put on a black hood and murmured an incantation in some unknown language, as the twins cried and waved their fists. "It is accomplished!" they all yelled. Everything began to swirl, and then they all disappeared.

Lorelai suddenly found herself on the gazebo with Luke, watching the Fourth of July festivities, just as she had been before Rory walked over with the twins. But there was no Rory, and no twins.

"Luke, where is everyone? What is going on?"

Luke laughed. "What's wrong with you? You're surrounded by all of Stars Hollow. It's the Fourth of July."

"The Exchange…the baby swap…wait, you _saw_ all this, didn't you?"

He looked at her like she was crazy. "What are you talking about?" An explosion went off in the distance. "Hey look, they're starting the fireworks."

"Luke, listen to me. Max and Jason took our babies…and Chris has something to do with it."

"Babies? Chris?" Luke looked at her with an expression of puzzlement and concern. "You know, I think this heat is getting to you. Do you want something to drink?"

_Yeah, how about a few shots of vodka? _"No, I do not want anything to drink. I just want you to listen to me. Hey, where are you going?" Luke walked away.

"Luke! Don't leave me alone…I don't know what is going on. Luke! _Luke!_"

"Lorelai? Hey, it's okay, it's just a dream." Lorelai opened her eyes, and this time she found herself in lying on a bed at the Dragonfly…with Luke, who was holding her shoulders as he tried to wake her gently.

Lorelai sat up in the bed, pushed herself away from him and stared. "Luke?"

_No Fourth of July, no twins, no exes. It wasn't real? But wait, what are we doing here in bed together?_

"Wait, am I still dreaming?"

Luke laughed. "Do you want me to pinch you?"

"Uh…" Lorelai saw the mischief in his eyes and knew she was actually awake. "That won't be necessary. How did we end up here?"

"I guess we just felt asleep talking." Luke shrugged his shoulders.

She looked all around before her eyes filled with tears. "Oh Luke, thank God," she exclaimed. She embraced him, almost knocking him off the bed.

"I don't know if I should be insulted by that response or not." Lorelai pulled away slightly to look at Luke, and she saw a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. They burst into laughter at the same time.

"That must have been some dream. Are you okay?" asked Luke, looking concerned as Lorelai's face grew serious again.

"What year is it?" Lorelai wanted to double check that she was no longer dreaming.

Luke looked at her in surprise. "2004. Why are you asking?"

Lorelai sighed with relief. "2004. Good. And it's still April?"

"Yes. Well, it's almost May." Luke tried to suppress the urge to laugh, but a chuckle still came out.

Lorelai looked at him with mock-indignation. "Oh, you may laugh at me, Luke, but this dream…oh God, it seemed so real, and yet…" She paused and looked up at him.

Luke looked self-conscious under her scrutinizing gaze. "Hey, don't get me confused with the Luke in your dream. Whatever I did…it wasn't me."

"No, wait. That's just it. Everyone was acting so weird, so out of character…everyone except you. You were the most normal of anybody…most of the time." _Except maybe when you were making faces at the babies._ "Even me…I was a complete idiot…and still, you were by my side. You were still you."

"It's nice to know I'm consistent, even in other people's heads." Luke smiled, as they sat side by side on the bed. "So…you want to talk about it?"

Lorelai laughed and blushed some more.

Luke put a hand on her shoulder. "If you don't feel comfortable talking about it, it's okay."

"No, it's not that. It's just…it's so embarrassing. I think I need to time to process it for myself before I share it with anybody." _Also, I have a feeling you'll never look at me the same way if I do tell you…I don't want to mess this up._


End file.
